ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday suspended the membership of 159 lawmakers of the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial assemblies who failed to submit a statement of their assets and liabilities by the due date.

The commission directed that “they shall cease to function as members with immediate effect until such statements are submitted by them,” according to a statement issued by the ECP.

On Thursday, the ECP reminded lawmakers to submit the details of their assets and liabilities, including those of their spouse and dependent children, for the financial year 2024-25, warning of suspension if they fail to do so by January 15.

Syed Ali Musa Gilani, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Muhammad Akhtar Mengal are among 32 members of the National Assembly whose membership has been suspended, while Musadik Malik is among nine Senators also suspended by the election regulator.

Out of the suspended MPAs, 50 are members of the Punjab Assembly, 33 of the Sindh Assembly, 28 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and seven of the Balochistan Assembly.

Saeed Ghani and Hafiz Naeeemur Rehman are among the lawmakers from the Sindh Assembly who failed to submit details of their assets and liabilities.

The ECP had stated that the submission was a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017.

Section 137 (1) of the Elections Act, 2017 stipulates that “every member of an assembly and senate shall submit to the Commission, on or before Dec 31 each year, a copy of his statement of assets and liabilities, including assets and liabilities of his spouse and dependent children as on the preceding thirtieth day of June on Form B.”

Last year, ECP suspended the membership of 139 lawmakers after they failed to submit their annual statements of assets.